Fly box



FLY BOX Filed April 17, 1935 ,Zhveiziorx Slu Q l0/ 3 y 1334 4.1M M1Patented Dec. 22, 1936 U j TED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for fishhooks and more particularlyfor fly hooks.

In order to avoid injury to the delicate portions of the flies of flyhooks it is necessary to support the hooks in a container in such amanner that the flies do not engage the walls of the container or eachother and thus avoid crushing and distorting the delicate portions ofthe flies. It is also desirable to support the hooks so that there is notendency to distort or break the hooks.

Containers for fly hooks have been provided with means for retaining andsupporting the hooks so as to avoid injury to the delicate portions ofthe flies while not avoiding tendencies for distorting or breaking thehooks. In other containers, means have been provided for retaining thehooks so as to avoid any tendency for distorting or breaking the hooksbut which did not support the hooks so as to avoid crushing ordistorting the delicate portions of the flies. However, no containershave been suggested, heretofore, having means for retaining the hooks soas substantially to avoid any tendency for distorting or breaking thehooks and also for supporting the hooks so as to avoid crushing ordistorting the delicate portions of the flies.

The present invention contemplates a container so constructed as toovercome the above difiiculties. Thus, a container is provided havingcooperating hook retaining members permitting the hooks to be readilyand conveniently inserted and removed and when inserted to be retainedand supported without danger of distorting or otherwise injuring eitherthe hooks or the flies. In its more specific aspect the inventioncontemplates a container having one or more rigid rods of small diameterheld in fixed position in engagement with the surface of a soft rubberpad. The resiliency or elasticity of the rubber pad permits a hook to beinserted between the pad and rod and be held against the rod in theposition in which it has been placed with the delicate portions of thefly out of contact with the walls of the container or other hooks. Theanti-slip characteristics of the rubber pad resist displacement of thehook.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawing: in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fishermans fly box embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the container.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofcon- 5 struction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Alsoit is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not or" limitation, and itis not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond therequirements of the prior art.

One form of container embodying the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and comprises a pan-like receptacle i0 preferablyof sheet metal, such as aluminum, having a bottom ll, side walls 12 andI3 and end walls [4 and i5. Rods IE, l1, l8, I9, and 21 extend betweenand 20 are suitably secured in the opposite side walls l2 and I3 of thereceptacle l0. These rods preferably are rigid and of small diameter andmay, for example, be small metallic rods. Preferably, they are disposedparallel to the bottom H and are spaced from the latter. The rods I6, Hand 18 are spaced a greater distance from the bottom ll than are therods I9, 20 and 2!. Rubber pads 22 and 23 are supported upon the bottomH with the upper surface of the pad 22 in engagement with the rods l6,l7 and H3 and the upper surface of the pad 23 in engagement with therods I9, 20 and 2|. The rubber pads 22 and 23 are preferably made ofsoft rubber, such as sponge rubber.

If desired, the receptacle ll] may be enclosed in a suitable box 25,such as leather, provided with a cover portion 26 hinged thereto andadapted to close the top of the receptacle.

The resiliency and elasticity of the rubber pads 22 and 23 permit a hookH carrying a fly F to be inserted conveniently between the pads and therods or to be removed from the same. The radius of the rods is less thanthe radius of curvature of the hook, that is to say, the diameter of therods is sufficiently small to permit a hook to be passed under andaround the same while leaving its point and shank free. The pad normallyengages the rods substantially throughout the length of the latter witha light resilient pressure insufficient to prevent the insertion of ahook between them but sufficient to exert a retaining pressure upon ahook so inserted. When a hook H has been inserted, for example, betweenthe pad 23 and the rod l9 as illustrated in the accompanying drawing,the rubber pad presses the hook against the rod with a. slight pressureand tends to wrap itself around the lower portion of the hook. Theanti-slip characteristics of the pad tend to resist any tendency for thehook to become displaced from its position as illustrated and the hookis maintained in an upright position with the fly out of engagement withthe walls of the container avoiding any tendency for the delicateportions of the fly to become crushed or distorted. The pressure exertedby the rubber pad upon the hook is not sufiicient to cause the hook tobecome distorted and yet is suificient to hold it in an uprightposition. In the container illustrated in the accompanying drawing therods i9, 26 and 2! are positioned closer to the bottom H than are therods 16, I! and [8 thereby per mitting larger hooks to be retained andsupported between the rods I9, 20 and 2| and the pad 23. Thus, thesmaller hooks which are retained and supported between the rods Iii, l1and i8 and the pad 22 are more conveniently and readily accessible. Itwill be understood that when the hooks are positioned in the containerthey are held in place in an upright position so that the flies are heldout of contact with each other and the side and end walls and bottom ofthe container is sufficiently deep so that the hooks are not engaged bythe cover portion 26.

What I claim is: 1. In a hook container, cooperatingflat androdlike hookretaining members normally positioned in engagement, one of said membersbeing rigid and located in fixed position and the other being resilientto permit a hook to be inserted and held therebetween, the surface ofsaid rod-like member having a curvature sharper than the curvature ofthe hook to be held between said members.

2. In a hook container, cooperating hook retaim'ng members comprising arigid rod-like member located in fixed position, and a soft resilienmember having a surface normally engaging said rigid member andpermitting a hook to be inserted and held between the same and saidrigid member, the surface of said rod-like member having a curvaturesharper than the curvature of the hook to be held between said members.

3. In a hook container, cooperating hook retaining members comprising arigid rod-like member located in fixed position, and a pad of softrubber having a surface normally engaging said rigid member andpermitting a hook to be inserted and held between the same and saidrigid member, the surface of said rod-like member having a curvaturesharper than the curvature of the hook to be held between said members.

4. In a hook container, a pan-like receptacle having a bottom and sidewalls, a soft rubber pad supported upon said bottom, and a rigid rod ofsmall diameter extending between and secured to opposite side walls ofsaid receptacle and engag ing the surface of said pad.

5. In a hook container, a pan-like receptacle having a bottom and sidewalls, a plurality of spaced rigid rods of small diameter extendingbetween and secured to opposite side walls of said. receptacle, one ofsaid rods being spaced a greater distance from the bottom of saidreceptacle than another rod, and a soft rubber pad engaging each of saidrods and supported between the same and said bottom.

6. In a hook container, hook retaining means comprising a rod-likemember of a diameter sufficiently small to permit a hook to be passedunder and around the same, and a cooperating retaining member, one ofsaid members being resiliently pressed toward the other, whereby a hookinserted between said members may be resiliently retained in an uprightposition with its point and shank free.

7. In a hook container, hook retaining means comprising a rod-likemember of a diameter sufficiently small to permit a' hook to be passedunder and around the same, and a soft, resilient, pad-like membernormally engaging said rod-like member, whereby a hook inserted betweensaid members may be resiliently retained in an upright position with itspoint and shank free.

EDWARD L. MARTINEZ.

